AthlonSports.com - Brandon Myershttp://athlonsports.com/category/nfl-players/brandon-myers
enDenver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders Preview and Predictionhttp://athlonsports.com/nfl/denver-broncos-vs-oakland-raiders-preview-and-prediction
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Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders Preview and Prediction&lt;/p&gt;
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The <strong>Denver Broncos</strong> aim for their 10th win of the season when they take on the <strong>Oakland Raiders </strong>tonight at 8:20 p.m. ET on the NFL Network. The Broncos (9-3) have won seven games overall and have already clinched the AFC West division title. The Raiders (3-9) have lost five in a row and would love nothing more than to get a win over the division champs and take some pressure off of first-year head coach Dennis Allen in the process.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 18px;"><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/21157-1/MorenoK.jpg" style="width: 220px; height: 287px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />When the Denver Broncos have the ball:</span></strong><br />
Denver is fifth overall in total offense (386.9 ypg) and third in scoring at 29.1 points per game. The offense has been led by quarterback Peyton Manning, who has put together a MVP-worthy first season with the Broncos despite missing all of last season. Manning is the NFL’s second-rated passer (104.6) and is averaging 292 yards passing per game with 29 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. Wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker have benefitted from having No. 18 pulling the trigger. This is especially the case for Thomas, who is tied for fourth in the league with 1,114 yards receiving, is averaging 16.1 yards per catch and has eight touchdown receptions. The Broncos are only 22nd in the league in rushing (103.3 ypg) and will be without running back Willis McGahee (torn MCL) until late in the playoffs. <strong>Knowshon Moreno</strong> has grabbed hold of the starting job in McGahee’s absence, and he should find success against a Raiders’ defense that’s ranked No. 28 (130.4 ypg) when it comes to stopping the run. The Broncos have been a little sloppy with ball security this season, as they have lost 13 fumbles.</p>
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Oakland’s defense is ranked No. 28 in total defense, allowing 387 yards per game, and is dead last in scoring defense, surrendering 31.3 points per contest. They are allowing more than 130 yards rushing per game, and have allowed 129 yards or more to three different running backs, including 251 to Tampa Bay rookie Doug Martin in Week 9. The Raiders haven’t fared much better against the pass, as they have given up 256.5 yards per game through the air. They have allowed 24 touchdown passes compared to eight interceptions, and have forced a total of 15 turnovers. The pass rush has been non-existent as well, with only 14 sacks, the second-fewest in the entire league.</p>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 18px;"><img alt="" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/33898-1/CarsonPalmer_2012_300.jpg" style="width: 220px; height: 318px; margin: 4px; float: right;" />When the Oakland Raiders have the ball:</span></strong><br />
Oakland’s offense has been largely one-dimensional this season, as injuries in the backfield and a lack of production in the running game have placed much of the burden on quarterback <strong>Carson Palmer</strong>’s arm. The Raiders are 13th in the league in total offense, but 77 percent of their total yards have come via the pass. Palmer is seventh in the league in passing yards with 3,532, and tied for second in pass attempts with 503. However, he has thrown 13 interceptions with his 20 touchdown passes, which is part of the reason why he’s No. 20 in terms of passer rating and the Raiders are 23rd in the league in scoring (19.6 ppg). Oakland is near the bottom (29th) in rushing offense, as injuries have once again caused running back Darren McFadden to miss a significant amount of time. It’s possible McFadden will be able to play tonight, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Raiders as a team are averaging less than 83 yards on the ground per game and have scored a total of three rushing touchdowns this season. The leading receiver for the Raiders is tight end Brandon Myers, as wide receivers Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey have been hampered by injuries and inconsistent production.</p>
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As good as Denver’s offense has been, the defense has more than done its part this season. The Broncos are third in total defense, giving up 308.2 yards per game, and tied for ninth in points allowed at 20.3 per contest. They are sixth against the pass and seventh against the rush, and have yielded only five rushing touchdowns all season. The Broncos have the second-most sacks in the league (38), led by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Von Miller’s 15 quarterback takedowns. This unit has also picked off 14 passes and tallied four defensive touchdowns on the season.</p>
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<span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>Key Factor:</strong></span><br />
Even though the Broncos have clinched the AFC West title, there’s still seeding and home-field advantage to play for. With Houston (11-1) and New England (9-3) facing off on Monday night, the Broncos will either gain ground on the Texans or pass the Patriots for the No. 2 seed in the AFC, provided they take care of business in Oakland. Peyton Manning and Co. had no problems with the Raiders the first time they played, a 37-6 whitewashing in Week 4, and with the problems Oakland has had running the ball, scoring points, along with its defensive issues, there’s little reason to expect a different outcome. The Raiders have allowed 34 or more points in a game seven times this season. Don’t be surprised if it’s eight after tonight.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size:18px;">Prediction:</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size:18px;">Broncos 34, Raiders 17</span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-53 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NFL Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-teams/denver-broncos">Denver Broncos</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nfl-teams/oakland-raiders">Oakland Raiders</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-52 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NFL Divisions:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-divisions/afc-west">AFC West</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-54 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NFL Players:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-players/peyton-manning">Peyton Manning</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nfl-players/carson-palmer">Carson Palmer</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-players/knowshon-moreno">Knowshon Moreno</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nfl-players/eric-decker">Eric Decker</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-players/darren-mcfadden">Darren McFadden</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nfl-players/willis-mcgahee">Willis McGahee</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-players/von-miller">Von Miller</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nfl-players/denarius-moore">Denarius Moore</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-players/darrius-heyward-bey">Darrius Heyward-Bey</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nfl-players/demaryius-thomas">Demaryius Thomas</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-players/brandon-myers">Brandon Myers</a></div></div></div>Thu, 06 Dec 2012 10:10:00 +0000Mark Ross17900 at http://athlonsports.comPierre Garcon, Brandon Myers, Brandon Lloyd: NFL Injury Updates Week 11http://athlonsports.com/fantasy/week-11-injury-updates-pierre-garcon-brandon-myers-brandon-lloyd
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Pierre Garcon, Brandon Myers, Brandon Lloyd&lt;/p&gt;
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This is the last of the bye weeks. It’s all up to health and strategy from here on out to get you to a fantasy football championship. Here are some updates on injured players, their status for the Week 11 games or the outlook for their replacements.</p>
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<span style="font-size:20px;"><strong><img alt="Pierre Garcon" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/33056-1/Pierre-Garcon.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 260px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 5px; float: right;" />Pierre Garcon, WR, Washington Redskins vs. Philadelphia Eagles</strong></span><br />
Well, Pierre Garcon is back apparently. A season that began with an 88-yard screen pass for a TD from Robert Griffin III in Week 1 was also cut short because of that TD. Garcon injured his foot on the play and has seen just two more games of action since — garnering eight targets for four catches and 44 yards. Garcon is listed as questionable for today's game against the Eagles and their 13th ranked fantasy defense against receivers in PPR scoring. But all signs point to him returning to action today. Then the question becomes: how much action will he see? It is not likely it will be enough to make a fantasy dent, but keep in mind the only dent he has made thus far in 2012 is one screen pass taken 88 yards for a score. If you are super desperate, give it a shot against an Eagles defense that has given up five TDs to receivers in the last four games.</p>
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<span style="font-size:20px;"><strong>Brandon Myers, TE, Oakland Raiders vs. New Orleans Saints</strong></span><br />
Brandon Myers is dealing with a shoulder and a concussion that have him listed as probable on the injury report. But the game's ninth-best tight end was back at practice on Thursday and Friday in full. There is no Darren McFadden or Mike Goodson in the backfield. There might not be a Darrius Heyward-Bey in the receiving corps, but there is a Saints defense susceptible to giving up yards and points. Enter Myers. A week ago, New Orleans allowed Tony Gonzalez to catch 11 balls on 15 targets for 122 yards and two TDs. Now that is a Hall of Famer, but even half that day is 18 points in a PPR. I'd even take the 9.5 Myers is averaging.</p>
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<span style="font-size:20px;"><strong>Brandon Lloyd, WR, New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts</strong></span><br />
Brandon Lloyd has been limited all week at practice with his knee injury and joins Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez as Patriots that have a legitimate chance of being inactive for today's late game. Of course Lloyd has been low boom or bust this season already. He was likely providing a good value early on with four straight double-digit PPR days to start the season, but he has had three games under 10 points in his last five outings; the other two have been 14- and 16.8-point games. But he has played with this lingering knee injury and the Pats draw a Colts defense today that is fourth-worst in the league against receivers in PPR scoring. &nbsp;<br />
— By Corby A. Yarbrough <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/Corby_Yarbrough">@Corby_Yarbrough on Twitter</a></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-53 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NFL Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-teams/new-england-patriots">New England Patriots</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nfl-teams/washington-redskins">Washington Redskins</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-54 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NFL Players:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-players/brandon-lloyd">Brandon LLoyd</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nfl-players/pierre-garcon">Pierre Garcon</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-players/brandon-myers">Brandon Myers</a></div></div></div>Sun, 18 Nov 2012 11:20:06 +0000Corby Yarbrough16218 at http://athlonsports.comWeek 8 Injury Updates: Rashard Mendenhall, Jonathan Dwyer, Titus Young, Brandon Myershttp://athlonsports.com/fantasy/week-8-injury-updates-rashard-mendenhall-isaac-redman-jonathan-dwyer-titus-young-brandon-mye
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To help you decide who to start and who to sit.&lt;/p&gt;
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Here we are — the halfway point of the NFL season and six weeks away from the start of the fantasy postseason for many. Injuries are making lineup decisions harder —&nbsp;sometimes easier in the committee world of some positions —&nbsp;and bye weeks leave us scrambling for the best start at some positions. Here are a few updates to hopefully help you make that push toward the fantasy postseason.</p>
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<span style="font-size:20px;"><strong><img alt="Rashard Mendenhall" src="http://images.athlonsports.com/d/21378-1/Rashard+mendenhall+2010.jpg " style="width: 200px; height: 261px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; margin: 5px; float: right; " />Rashard Mendenhall, Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, RBs, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Washington Redskins</strong></span><br />
<strong>Rashard Mendenhall</strong> (Achilles) was ruled <strong>out of today's game </strong>vs. Washington on Friday. Backup Isaac Redman (ankle) practiced on a limited basis this week. And that leaves<strong> Jonathan Dwyer to once again carry the load. </strong>A week after rushing for 122 yards on 17 carries against Cincinnati, Dwyer gets a Washington run defense that has allowed six of the 19 running backs they have faced to score double-digit days in PPR, but only Adrian Peterson has sniffed 20 points (19.9). It is unlikely you were counting on a Steelers RB to be an RB1 or 2 this season, and they have only been good plays in any roster slot on four occasions thus far. This should be one of those days for Dwyer.</p>
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<span style="font-size:20px;"><strong>Titus Young, WR, Detroit Lions vs. Seattle Seahawks</strong></span><br />
The pride was thinned out a bit when Nate Burleson went on IR with a broken leg. That leaves the door open for either Titus Young, Brandon Pettigrew or rookie Ryan Broyles to step right in. But for years now, like in Houston, it has been hard, week in and week out, to trust any receiver not listed as the team's top receiver. In the Lions' case that is Calvin Johnson, and he is not living up to fantasy expectations this season. However, Burleson had flashed on multiple occasions this year, scoring double-digit days in PPR formats on four of six outings. Young, who is battling a knee injury and is listed as questionable, has two double-digit days — thanks to a Hail Mary TD to force OT against Tennessee in Week 3 and a 6-for-81 day last week at Chicago. Young has a chance to shine the rest of the season; unfortunately against Seattle might not be where he builds on last week's efforts. The Seahawks have faced 26 receivers and allowed seven double-digit days in PPR scoring. Young could be an OK flex option against a defense the Lions might have trouble running on — especially after the way Frank Gore embarrassed Seattle last week.</p>
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<span style="font-size:20px;"><strong>Brandon Myers, TE, Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs</strong></span><br />
You know we're knee-deep in bye weeks and the tight end landscape is not as rosy as once predicted when you are reading about Brandon Myers. But with Aaron Hernandez out, Jimmy Graham a game-time decision and four teams with serviceable tight ends (Buffalo, Cincinnati, Baltimore and Houston) on byes, it is time to talk Myers. He is listed as probable (knee) this week but should be good to go against the Chiefs. Myers has just one dud in terms of what to expect from fringe tight ends these days. He has caught at least four balls four at least 44 yards in all but one game. He doesn't produced TDs (just one so far) but he receives targets and catches. In the last two weeks, Myers has 17 targets, turning them into 12 catches for 106 yards. Kansas City has not been very forgiving to tight ends as of late. The first three weeks, the position caught 11 balls for 122 yards and three scores. The last three weeks, it has been seven catches for 92 yards and no scores. Perhaps that is because the Chiefs have been bottom eight against fantasy running backs and quarterbacks. Maybe this is the week Darren McFadden finally busts out, but Myers is a decent TE option in a week where the position is weak.<br />
— By Corby A. Yarbrough <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/Corby_Yarbrough">@Corby_Yarbrough on Twitter</a></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-53 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NFL Teams:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-teams/pittsburgh-steelers">Pittsburgh Steelers</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nfl-teams/detroit-lions">Detroit Lions</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-54 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NFL Players:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-players/rashard-mendenhall">Rashard Mendenhall</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nfl-players/titus-young">Titus Young</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-players/isaac-redman">Isaac Redman</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nfl-players/jonathan-dwyer">Jonathan Dwyer</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nfl-players/brandon-myers">Brandon Myers</a></div></div></div>Sun, 28 Oct 2012 11:05:16 +0000Corby Yarbrough14695 at http://athlonsports.com